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Weekly Q and A - 10 November

Is it possible to have the same planner next year?

The NDIS aims for each participant to have a consistent point of contact, and you can request to have the same planner or Local Area Coordinator at your next plan review.

During your plan review, you will be able to provide feedback on what supports are working for you and how you are progressing in achieving better outcomes. You will also have the opportunity to explore and set new personal goals building on your previous achievements.

After your first 12 months with the NDIS you will have a plan review. After that plan reviews can be scheduled up to two years apart dependent on personal circumstances and your goals.

If my funds are managed by NDIS do I still need a bank account?

There are four options for managing the funds in your NDIS plan – agency managed, self-managed, PMA and combination.

There is no requirement to have a bank account for your NDIS plan if your plan is being agency managed. An agency-managed plan means that the payment of your supports in your plan are completed by the NDIA on your behalf as per your service bookings.

If you choose to self-manage all or part of your NDIS Budget, it is strongly advised that you have a separate bank account just for your NDIS funds (your NDIS bank account).

As an NDIS participant, the bank account must be opened in your name. If the participant is a child, the bank account should be in the child’s name and the child’s representative must be listed as a signatory to the child’s account. If the bank account is not able to be opened in the participant’s name, the account must be in the name of the nominee or child’s representative who is approved to self-manage the NDIS funding.

Can you use a support coordinator if you are self-managed?

Yes, you can use a Support Coordinator if you are self-managed provided you have funding available in your plan to purchase this support.

A Support Coordinator is generally funded to strengthen a participant’s ability to connect to and coordinate a range of more complex informal, mainstream and funded supports. A Support Coordinator will support the participant to coordinate services from a range of suppliers or providers, address service delivery issues and develop the capacity and resilience of their support network.

How can I get an idea of whether I’ll qualify for the NDIS?

You might also want to visit the Access Requirements page of our website. This page has more information about the basic access requirements that you will be assessed against to see if you can become an NDIS participant with an individual plan.

Once you are accepted into the NDIS, is it 100 per cent for life or can you exit the Scheme? I am an adult.

Once you are accepted as an NDIS participant, you will receive reasonable and necessary support for as long as you need it. For most participants this means a lifelong relationship.

We will work with you to develop a plan that is unique to your needs and is based on your goals, and it will change over time as your situation changes. Some people enter the Scheme under early intervention. Early intervention support is available to both children and adults who meet the early intervention requirements.

The aim of early intervention is to alleviate the impact of a person’s impairment by providing support at the earliest possible stage. This means that support will be given to increase your independence and capacity, so at some stage you can transition from the NDIS to mainstream services (services available to all Australians).

Achieving good outcomes early on and transitioning from the Scheme doesn’t have to mean the end of your relationship with the NDIS. You might need support at some point in the future, and the NDIS will be there to support you. You can watch Oni’s story (external) for an example of how that works in practice.